Winnetka, Ill., Estate Goes On The Block; Listed for $32 Million

September 2, 2011

A Winnetka, Ill., estate that is listed for $32 million comes up for auction this fall with no minimum reserve.

The property is owned by Deborah Jarol, who said she is selling because her children are now grown. Ms. Jarol said she and her husband, a real-estate investor, spent nearly five years building the 27,000-square-foot, six-bedroom home, which is situated on 2½ acres and was completed in 2008. Architect Richard Landry modeled it after Château Villandry in France. Ms. Jarol said the house cost about $40 million to build and furnish. (Furniture and art are included with the sale.)

Photos: Private Properties

The home has hand-scraped walnut floors, reclaimed stones from a chateau in France in the wine cellar and ornate Venetian plaster walls throughout. The home has a swimming pool, a home spa with fireplace and beauty parlor, and a large in-home theater.

"The whole thing was fun for us [to build] and it's a one-of-a-kind thing," said Ms. Jarol.

The auction will take place Oct. 29 at the home, which is about 20 minutes from downtown Chicago. Sarena Irwin from Concierge Auctions is managing the sale. Tim Salm of Sotheby's Jameson International Realty is the listing agent.

'Home Alone' House Gets a Cut

Also in Winnetka, the house made famous for its starring role in "Home Alone" has gotten a price cut. The home originally listed in May for $2.4 million and is now available for $1.95 million, a 19% price cut.

The sellers, Cynthia and John Abendshien, have owned the brick house since 1988 and lived there for much of the film's 5½-month shoot. Situated on a half acre, the 4,250-square-foot house has four bedrooms and five bathrooms and has been renovated several times since appearing in the film.

Texas Ranch, Former LBJ Haunt, Is Auctioned for $28.5 Million

A historic ranch in Franklin, Texas, has sold for $28.5 million at auction. The property had been quietly shopped around prior to the sale for as much as $40 million, according to brokers.

The seller was Klaus Birkel, the scion of a German family that owned a large pasta-producing business.

The 10,600-acre Camp Cooley Ranch is located between Dallas, Houston and San Antonio. The ranch has a cattle-ranching operation and offices and a 1,000-acre exotic game preserve. It has a main house with 8,590 square feet and six bedrooms and 7½ bathrooms, as well as three smaller brick homes and five wood-frame homes.

In the 1960s, the ranch was a vacation place for dignitaries and politicians like President Lyndon Johnson. Scott H. Shuman of Hall & Hall and Bernard Uechtritz of Great Estates Ranches & Real Estate Worldwide handled the sale.

Corrections & Amplifications Tim Salm of Sotheby's Jameson International Realty is the listing agent for the Winnetka, Ill., estate listed at $32 million and soon to be auctioned. An earlier version of this article incorrectly called the firm Sotheby's Jameson International.

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